Alternatives to WinBoat
A Linux desktop app that runs Windows programs from a containerized Windows virtual machine. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
WinBoat
A Linux desktop app that runs Windows programs from a containerized Windows virtual machine.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as WinBoat.
WinApps
Runs Windows applications from a background virtual machine as if they were native Linux apps.
WinApps runs Windows programs from a background VM as native-looking Linux windows, with Nautilus integration, but setup involves several components and scripts.
CrossOver
A commercial Wine-based tool that runs Windows applications and games on macOS and Linux.
CrossOver runs Windows programs through Wine on macOS and Linux without a full Windows guest or licence, but it is paid and compatibility varies.
Also worth comparing
These listings name WinBoat as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Windows (dockur)
A Docker container that downloads, installs and runs Windows inside a KVM-accelerated virtual machine.
WinBoat also runs a containerized Windows guest on Linux, but through a graphical desktop app that shows individual Windows programs integrated with the Linux desktop.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Looking Glass
A low-latency viewer that shows a GPU-passthrough Windows virtual machine inside a Linux window.
Waydroid
Runs a full Android system in a container on Linux desktops and phones that use Wayland.
Virtual Machine Manager
The standard desktop front end for KVM on Linux, plus the command line tools that go with it.
VirtualBox
The free desktop hypervisor most people start with: run Windows, Linux or BSD in a window on the machine you already have.
